Snacks

Name: Sweet Chili Roasted Nuts
Prep time: 10 min
Cook time: 25 min
Total time: 35 min
Yield: 4
Ingredients: 1 egg white; ¼ tsp Pink Himalayan salt; 2 tbsp dark amber maple syrup; 2 tbsp sambal oelek (draining off as much liquid as possible); 3 cups of mixed nuts (such as almonds, cashews and peanuts)

Girls Night Cooking Class + Vietnamese Summer Rolls

June 19, 2018 Leave a Comment

I had an absolute blast hosting a Girls Night Cooking Class with Yolanda and Marissa! Teaching people some new recipes and sharing a few cooking tips is so much fun! Plus, we all get to eat some yummy food!!!

Yolanda and I planned a personalized three-course menu for the night based upon her food preferences and dietary needs. The menu was: Vietnamese Summer Rolls with Peanut Sauce, Paleo Pad Thai and a Banana Carrot Cake with Cream Cheese Frosting!

The Banana Carrot Cake recipe is actually on the blog but this one we made without pecans. After we got the Banana Carrot cake in the oven, it was time to start making the Vietnamese Summer Rolls.

Vietnamese Summer Rolls are kinda like a spring roll that is not fried. Instead of the egg roll wrapper, the skin of the roll is actually a rice paper sheet. The filling usually consists of a protein plus lots of raw vegetables and rice noodles. In restaurants, they often serve the rolls with some type of peanut sauce for extra deliciousness! The summer roll is super fresh and crunchy. It provides a great contrast to the creamy and spicy peanut sauce.

These Summer Rolls are the perfect appetizer. It is totally customizable for what you like and can be made slightly ahead of time, stored in the fridge, then served cold or at room temperature.

Making Summer Rolls can be a little tricky, so here’s a few tips make it a little easier:

Have all your ingredients sliced, prepped and ready to be used: This takes a little time up front, but it will make it so much easier to make a dozen of these delicious rolls. Feel free to choose whatever filling ingredients you like. Some ideas for filling ingredients are lettuce, swiss chard, carrots, cucumber, mango, shrimp, chicken or pork. For a huge boost of flavor, add fresh basil leaves, or cilantro or both.
Dip your rice paper sheet in warm water but don’t get it too wet so that it starts sticking to itself: Once the sheet is pliable, place it on a dampened cutting board then fill it with your fillings ingredients. Keeping your fingers and your cutting board damp will help stop the rice paper sheet from sticking.
Don’t overfill the summer roll: It is very tempting to do this but the roll will be much easier to work with if it is not overstuffed. It may take a few tries to get the amount of filling right
Roll it up tight like a burrito: The easiest way to roll up the summer roll is like a burrito. Make sure to keep the filling ingredients in place, by making sure the roll is super tight.
Cover the summer rolls with a damp paper towel: If you’re prepping these ahead of time, covering the rolls with a damp towel will help prevent the rice paper from drying out.

The trickiest part about this recipe is rolling up the summer rolls. Here’s a step-by-step guide to rolling up the rolls:

Dip the rice paper sheet in warm water, then once pliable, place on a cutting board.
Place a lettuce leaf or swiss chard leaf in the middle of the rice paper sheet. Place your filling ingredients of choice on the lettuce leaf/swiss chard leaf.
Fold in 2 opposite sides of the rice paper sheet to cover the filling.
Take one of the unfolded sides and fold it over the filling.
On the same side, start tightly rolling the rice paper sheet over the filling.
Keep rolling till a log is formed. The rice paper sheet should stick to itself as you roll, keeping the roll closed.

Now for the peanut sauce! This is actually a version of an Indonesian Peanut Sauce. Two key ingredients are the kecap manis and the sambal oelek. Kecap manis is a sweet soy sauce. You can actually find it at some local grocery stores and online. It is usually made with soy sauce, a lot of sugar and garlic. So it tastes really good but a healthier alternative is to use equal parts of reduced sodium soy sauce or coconut aminos, and a liquid sweetener such as honey, maple syrup or agave. Sambal oelek is a spicy paste of chilies, vinegar and salt. It adds a kick of bold heat to the sauce. A little water is used to thin out the sauce to a dippable consistency. The ultimate peanut sauce is a perfect balance of creamy, salty, sweet, savory and spicy.

These Summer rolls were a big hit! They are so versatile and delicious, especially with some delicious peanut sauce.

I hope you give them a try. If you do, take a photo and tag me on Instagram at @nourish_with_renata and #nourishwithrenata on Instagram! I would love to see what you make!

And remember, if you’re in the Houston area and looking for a cooking class, let me know! I’d love to cook with you!

Father’s Day Recipe: Sweet Chili Roasted Nuts

June 12, 2018 1 Comment

This week’s recipe comes from an idea that my dad had: Sweet Chili Roasted Nuts. My mum had made him the Roasted Nuts with Rosemary, Garlic and Ancho Chile, but he wanted them to be spicier. So he said to me, “How about Sweet Chili Roasted Nuts?” I’m always up for creating a new recipe so off I went to the kitchen.

My dad absolutely loves snacking on peanuts. All my life, he has sat down at night and snacked on peanuts while reading, emailing or surfing Facebook. He did this every night. And I mean, every night. It is actually kinda comical at this point, because even my 5 year old says that we need to get him peanuts when he is coming to visit!

One time, my Mum and I got him rice crackers instead of peanuts. Let’s just say my Dad was not happy about that. We got him peanuts the next time we went to the grocery store.

You’re probably familiar with Sweet Chili sauce from your favorite asian restaurant. The contrasting sweet and spicy flavors make it an addictive sauce! The downside of this sauce is that it often contains a lot of sugar, which can be particularly troublesome for those that are watching their sugar intake, like my dad.

To recreate the sweet chili flavor, I used a combination of dark amber maple syrup and sambal oelek. Maple syrup gives that sticky yet subtle sweetness to the dish. There’s also a hint of smokiness too, which pairs nicely with the roasted nuts. Maple syrup has been shown to contain high levels of antioxidants, when compared to that of sugar or corn syrup. Some of these antioxidants can help to fight arthritis and other types of inflammation in the body. Maple syrup also has a low glycemic index, so no need to worry about a sugar crash!

Sambal oelek is spicy Indonesian sauce made of chilies, salt and vinegar. The word “sambal” means sauce or condiment, and “oelek” means ground by stone. Back in the old days, the chilies used to be ground to a paste using a stone – I imagine something similar to a mortar and pestle. The name “sambal oelek” is actually an old Dutch version of the Javanese name for the sauce. I learned all of this info from my dad so, thank you Dad!!!!

Any combination of nuts will work in this recipe. I used almonds, cashews and, of course, peanuts. There is something about the sticky, spicy, crunchy roasted nuts that make this such an addictive snack. The smoky sweetness from the maple syrup is such a great compliment to the bright spiciness of the sambal. I challenge you to eat only one! It’s impossible!

I think my Dad would really like this recipe. It’s basically everything he literally wants, or requested, in a snack, plus it’s refined sugar free and tastes delicious!

This is a great Father’s Day treat too. It is super easy to make, packed with protein and nutrients, and full of bold flavor that most Dads would love. It’s also a perfect snack to go with a beer or soda while he’s watching TV. What Dad wouldn’t love to relax on Father’s Day with an awesome snack?!!

So Happy Father’s Day to all the dads out there! Hope you have an awesome day filled with lots of delicious treats!

I hope you give this recipe a try! If you do, take a photo and tag me on Instagram at @nourish_with_renata and #nourishwithrenata on Instagram! I would love to see what you make!

5 from 1 vote

Sweet Chili Roasted Nuts

Prep Time

10 mins

Cook Time

25 mins

Total Time

35 mins

A healthy, spicy twist on a flavorful and addictive snack… roasted nuts!!!

Course: Snack

Servings: 4

Author: Renata

Ingredients

Ingredients:

1 egg white
¼ tsp Pink Himalayan salt
2 tbsp dark amber maple syrup
2 tbsp sambal oelek draining off as much liquid as possible
3 cups of mixed nuts such as almonds, cashews and peanuts

Instructions

Instructions:

Preheat oven to 325 deg F. Spray a baking tray with non-stick spray and set aside.
In a large bowl, beat the egg white and salt together with a whisk until it starts looking foamy.
Add in the maple syrup and sambal oelek and whisk together.
Stir in the mixed nuts, ensuring every nut is evenly coated with the seasoning mixture.
Pour the nut mixture onto the greased baking tray and spread it out to an even layer.
Roast the nuts for 20-25 minutes, stirring approximately halfway through cooking time to prevent burning. The nuts are ready when they are golden brown and crunchy.
Cool the nuts on the tray and then transfer to an airtight container.

Recipe Notes

Leftover nuts can be stored in an airtight container at room temperature

Homemade Almond Cherry Protein Bars

May 29, 2018 Leave a Comment

Guess what time it is??? It’s snack time! As a self-professed snack-oholic, I love to try lots of different kinds of snacks. I stumbled across the Evolve Almond Cherry Protein Bars at my local grocery store and decided to give it a try. I was actually really impressed with how good these protein bars tasted. The texture was soft and chewy, and the flavor was lightly sweet and nutty. The dried cherries really brought this protein bar to the next level…and I don’t even like dried cherries! That’s when you know it’s good! The combination of the crunchy almond and the chewy cherries really got me hooked. I had to make a version of this protein bar at home.

The great thing about making protein bars at home is that you can control the quality and number of ingredients that you add. Often times, protein bars that you can buy in stores contain lots of hidden sugar, salt, dyes or other artificial ingredients. I really like to play with the flavors of homemade protein bars too! It’s the perfect opportunity to make a personalized flavor combo that you love!

To make these protein bars at home, you only need 4 ingredients: dates, almond, cherries and protein powder. For healthy sweet treats like these, I like to use pitted Medjool dates. They are much larger and softer than other kinds of dates which makes them easier to blend. If your dates are firmer, feel free to soak them in warm water for about 10 mins then drain before blending. Dates are high in fiber and diets high in fiber have been shown to lower bad cholesterol i.e. LDL. Dates have also been studied in their effect on lowering triglycerides.

Almonds are not only high in protein, but they also contain high levels of monounsaturated fatty acids and and antioxidants to help heart health. The L-carnitine and riboflavin in almonds have also been shown to help prevent cognitive decline. One study showed that daily consumption of almonds cause people to generally have lower Body Mass Index, or BMI, and lower rates of obesity over time.

Cherries are high in potassium, antioxidants and help to reduce inflammation. Most of the studies done on cherries use tart cherry powder. While this may not be the exact same type of cherry used in this recipe, I do think that you gain some nutritional benefit from dried cherries. I would try to find dried cherries that do not contain a lot or any sugar, if you can, especially if you are concerned about limiting your sugar intake.

This recipe is the perfect use for your favorite protein powder! I love using Vega Vanilla Protein and Greens powder. I really like knowing that I am boosting the nutritional value of my recipes when the protein powder also contains so many vegetables.

These protein bars are super easy to make. You just need a high speed blender or food processor to blitz up all the ingredients, then press it out into a pan, chill and cut into bars. Couldn’t be easier!

I hope you give these protein bars a try! You could also adjust the flavors to whatever are your favorite flavors. You could use a chocolate protein powder for a decadent twist, or swap out the almonds for peanuts. You could even leave out the cherries, or change it for another type of fruit. One thing that I want to try is drizzling over a little stevia-sweetened chocolate or dipping the bottom half of the protein bars in chocolates. Now, that’s a healthy indulgence right there!

Let me know if you try this recipe! Take a photo and tag me at @nourish_with_renata and #nourishwithrenata on Instagram! I would love to see what you make!

The Recipe

Homemade Almond Cherry Protein Bars

Prep Time

15 mins

Chilling time

30 mins

A homemade version of a new favorite protein bar flavor combo: almond and cherries.